This invention relates to pesticide compositions and methods for efficiently and effectively using such compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to an environmentally safe potentiator which improves the activity of such pesticides.
The term "pesticide" is used herein in a generic sense and includes insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. A variety of pesticides are well known and widely used in agricultural, gardening and household applications. Although useful in controlling insect populations as well as the growth of unwanted flora and fungi, many pesticides have been found to be harmful to the environment as well as to humans, other mammals, birds and fish. Indeed, the relatively long term environmental hazards experienced with materials such as DDT and dioxin have increased the awareness of the potentially dangerous environmental impact of widespread use of synthetic pesticides. This has prompted the development of potent, but apparently less dangerous petrochemical-based pesticides. However, these new pesticides are far from ideal as they still pose some threat to environmental safety and may collect in food and fresh water resources.
Efforts have been made to identify naturally occurring materials such as bacterial preparations, naturally occurring fatty acids, and salts of fatty acids which are effective in controlling certain insect, weed and fungi populations. For the most part, however, such pesticidal compounds have been largely ignored, presumably because of their generally lower pesticidal activity.
It would be advantageous to provide an environmentally safe compound which improves pesticidal activity when used in conjunction with a pesticide. Such a compound would be economically and environmentally advantageous in that it would facilitate the use of lesser amounts of a given pesticide, while still achieving effective pesticidal activity.